Contrary to speculations in the public, facts have revealed that the power interruption experienced in Imo State on November 1st was as a result of the activities of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) as well as the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) and the Senior Staff Association of Electricity Employees (SSAEAC).
According to a top union functionary who said he was not in a position to speak, the industrial action was not directed specifically at the TCN but a general issue intended to ensure that the whole of Imo State is shut down.
Speaking further, the union executive said the outage “is a general issue, not particular to Transmission. The whole of Imo State has been shut down. The distribution companies are also part of the action and everything is done in unison.”
It was also revealed that federal government facilities including the Owerri airport were shut down by the union functionaries. The Labour action, the union functionary disclosed, was therefore not one between the TCN and the Labour Union, saying that the Labour action was between Imo State Government and the Labour Unions.
While sympathizing with end users of electricity for the disruption caused by the action of the Labour functionaries, a senior official of the power utility who pleaded not to be quoted as he was not authorised to speak on the matter restated the commitment of TCN to the efficient delivery of bulk power to distribution load centres for onward dispatch to end users.
